Sewing for Beginners - My First Sewing Kit by Alex Toys

My daughter received the My First Sewing Kit from Santa for Christmas. It looked to be the perfect kit for her very first introduction to sewing. After opening and helping her use the kit I want to review it for you.

The directions contain good descriptions and drawings on how to thread a needle, sew a straight and finishing stitches, and how to sew a pouch.

The projects are very cute. Pieces are included for a felt cat, felt elephant, pouch, and book cover.

Cons:

Despite a tape measure, needle threader, pins, tape measure, thimble, and pincushion being included in the kit, they are never mentioned at all in the directions. If a complete novice tried to use this kit and didn't have the help of someone with basic sewing knowledge then it would be VERY frustrating if not impossible to complete the projects.

The directions contain English, Spanish, French, and German text. While this is really a pro, it is very difficult to consistently find the right language as you are reading through. I highly recommend highlighting the passages relevant to you. It will save a lot of time.

The thread is very difficult to use. It is the weight of embroidery floss, but it isn't shiny or slick. My daughter found it very hard to pull the thick thread through the thick fleece. I wish I had considered that before buying. A kit using regular cotton fabric probably would have been easier for her.

Takeaway:

Overall I am happy with this kit and I recommend it for beginners, perhaps not as a first kit though. There just isn't enough instruction in essential sewing skills like pinning pieces together. Once a child has the skills for threading a needle, pinning, and practicing a straight stitch this would be a fun kit for them to work on with a cute kit to keep everything organized and together.

This video gives a great overview of the kit contents, so please watch it. Notice that the video shows an adult sewing pieces together without using pins. I think that is unrealistic for a beginner! A kid with some basic sewing skills and some practice with stitches would probably be able to do it though.

Check out these related products for beginners. Trying needlepoint before, after, or while learning to sew might be a great way to enhance sewing skills.

The My First Sewing Kit is recommended for ages 7 and up - How old were you when you learned basic sewing skills?